Protesters in Maine rally against tar sands oil

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Hundreds of people rallied in the city on Saturday in what was billed as the largest protest yet against the possibility of so-called tar sands oil being piped in from Montreal.

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By Clarke Canfield

seacoastonline.com

By Clarke Canfield

Posted Jan. 27, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By Clarke Canfield
Posted Jan. 27, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Hundreds of people rallied in the city on Saturday in what was billed as the largest protest yet against the possibility of so-called tar sands oil being piped in from Montreal.

Protesters gathered downtown and marched to the city's waterfront for a rally that included speeches from Democratic U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan and others who said allowing heavy oil from western Canada to cross northern New England poses serious environmental risks.

Environmental groups say plans are in the works to bring oil by pipeline from western Canada to Montreal and then to Portland. Critics say tar sands oil is so corrosive, acidic and thick that it's more likely to spill than conventional crude oil and that would put rivers, lakes and streams at risk in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. They also say renewable energy should be promoted to reduce reliance on oil.

"We need to work together to expand the market for renewable energies and eliminate the demand for tar sands and other fuels that are not only a root cause for climate change but also carry real risks of pollution and spills in our back yard," Brennan said in a statement.

The debate in northern New England comes as debate is increasing in Washington over the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, a $7 billion project that would carry oil from Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The company that owns pipelines connecting western Canada to Montreal, and a separate company that owns the 236-mile pipeline from Portland to Montreal, both say there are no plans to bring tar sands oil across northern New England to Portland. The Portland-to-Montreal pipeline now carries oil that arrives in Portland by ship from overseas through Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Quebec to Montreal.

Opponents of oil sands oil are putting out misinformation, said John Quinn, executive director of the New England Petroleum Council, which represents the oil industry. Seventy percent of the gasoline sold in Maine now comes from oil from Alberta that's refined in New Brunswick, he said. The oil is no more corrosive or dangerous than conventional crude oil, he said.

"They intend to demonize oil sands because it's a direct threat to wind power," Quinn said. "Many of the organizers of this rally oppose petroleum in any form."